"What a great paycheck that would make for the rest of my life," she said today through her translator, Yolanda Vega, the famous voice of the New York Lottery.

"You keep living, we'll keep paying," Vega said this morning during a press conference at the Syracuse Best Market.

Pizarro bought the ticket from the market on East Fayette Street on Sept. 18, when she was 21 years old. The "$1,500 A Week for Life" ticket cost $3. She forgot about the ticket until she and her mother were eating dinner. When Pizarro scratched it off to find two matching 10's, she couldn't believe it.

"My ma said, 'You win, you win," Pizarro said, without Vega's help.

Pizarro came to Syracuse just four months ago from Puerto Rico. She graduated from high school in Puerto Rico and isn't in school now. With the winnings, she'd like to go in with her sisters to open a gasoline and convenience store in Syracuse and maybe a yogurt shop in Puerto Rico.

And, Pizarro said, she's taking her mother on a vacation.

Pizarro said she plans to be careful with the money and she still wants to go to college. When she said she wanted to be a police officer, the small crowd at the convenience store clapped.

Pizarro's prize entitles her to $1,500 a week for life, with a guaranteed jackpot of $1.5 million. Pizarro has chosen to take the money in annual lump sums of $78,000, before taxes. The Lottery guarantees payments for the first 20 years to reach the minimum $1.5 million. After that, Pizarro will continue to receive annual payments of $78,000, which is about $51,600 after taxes, according to the Division of Lottery.

The store's owner, Mohammad Hamdan, was on hand to celebrate with Pizarro today. "I have a lot of fun," he said when he sees his customers win. "I'm happy for my customers."